Presidency Lists Initiatives to Tackle Security Challenges Since January

The Presidency on Sunday, May 12, listed the achievements of the
Muhammadu Buhari government in the area of security.

Femi Adesina on behalf of the presidency listed some of the
achievements in the area of security including the various
operations of the Nigerian Police Force and other security
agencies.

In his wordy communique, Adesina also reeled out a timeline
within which certain efforts made by security operatives yielded
the desired results.

Below is a full statement as published by Femi Adesina.

“MAJOR SECURITY MILESTONES IN 2019, BY
PRESIDENCY

These are no doubt times of great security challenges for our
country, and the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government is not
leaving any stone unturned to restore sanity and calm.

For the records, below are some of the security initiatives
taken between January and now, for the safety and security of
Nigerians:

Ø Operation Puff Adder (Nigerian Police), Operation HARBIN
KUNAMA 3 (Nigerian Army) and Exercise Egwu Eke 3 (Nigerian Army)
have all been launched in 2019, to complement the existing
Operations Sharan Daji (launched in 2016 by the Nigerian Army) and
Diran Mikiya (launched 2018 by the Nigerian Air Force). All of
these operations are focused on tackling banditry and criminality
in the North West of Nigeria.

Ø Operation HARBIN KUNAMA 3 was launched on 1 April 2019 to
ensure the complete defeat of the bandits fleeing military
operations in Zamfara and escaping into Kaduna, Katsina, Kano,
Niger and Sokoto States.

– Hundreds of kidnappers and bandits have been arrested or
killed since January, several camps/hideouts destroyed; and
hundreds of hostages rescued. In a two-week operation in February
(lasting from Feb 4 to Feb 14), 80 hostages were freed by the
Nigerian Army, with 37 bandits killed.

– Aerial bombardments of bandits’ camps have been intensified in
recent months. A new Air Force Base – the 271 Nigerian Air Force
Detachment (271 NAF Det) – was commissioned at Birinin Gwari in
Kaduna State in May 2019, to complement the 207 Quick Response
Group (QRG) established in Gusau, Zamfara State, in 2017.

NIGERIAN POLICE:
Between January 2019 and the 1st week of May, 2019, a total of 270
suspected kidnappers, 275 suspected armed robbers, were arrested
and 105 assorted weapons plus a large cache of ammunition recovered
by the Nigerian Police within the states of the North West and
North Central Nigeria.

● April 5- The Nigerian Police launched ‘Operation Puff Adder’,
a multi-agency strategy, in collaboration with the Nigerian Armed
Forces and the Department of State Services (DSS), tailored towards
ridding the Kaduna – Abuja Expressway, Kogi, Katsina, Niger and
Zamfara states of all forms of crimes and criminality- kidnapping,
armed robbery, cattle rustling, amongst others.

● April 9- Police operatives attached to ‘Operation Puff Adder’
arrested three notorious criminals involved in the kidnap of
Channels Television’s staff, Mr. Friday Okeregbe- Hanniel Patrick,
Abdulwahab Isah and Salisu Mohammed.

● April 10- Officers of the ‘Operation Puff Adder’ killed nine
notorious criminals on the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway. 6 Ak47 Rifles,
1 Pump Action Gun, 1,206 Rounds of Ak47 Ammunition, 7 Magazines, 28
Cartridges And 158 Expended Shells were recovered from the
criminals.

● April 16- Operatives attached to ‘Operation Puff Adder’
arrested one Mallam Salisu Abubakar, 48yrs old, a native of
Dutsinma LGA, Katsina State. The Mallam, is a self-confessed
spiritual father of kidnappers terrorizing Abuja-Kaduna expressway
and parts of other North-West/North-Central states.

● Following the arrest of the kidnappers’ ‘spiritual father’,
Police detectives attached to ‘Operation Puff Adder’, arrested 18
notorious kidnappers and armed robbers at different times and
places across the country. A total of twenty- two (22) AK 47
rifles, five (5) locally fabricated pistols and a cache of live
ammunition were recovered from the bandits.

● May 5- Operatives from ‘Operation Puff Adder’ rescued unhurt
27 kidnap victims including 5 Chinese nationals. The Chinese
citizens who were earlier kidnapped on 15th April, 2019 in Bobi,
Niger State, were safely and successfully rescued from a forest in
Birnin Gwari, Kaduna State, following painstaking investigative
efforts, including both air and ground surveillance. Two of the
kidnappers died from injuries sustained during exchange of gun fire
with the Police in the course of the rescue mission. Twenty-two
other kidnap victims were rescued in Zamfara State and other parts
of the country.

NIGERIAN ARMY:
● 8 January – The Army flagged off ‘Exercise EGWU EKE III’ in 8
Division Nigerian Army’s area of responsibility at 1 Battalion,
Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State.

● 2 February- Troops of 8 Division of the Nigerian Army on
‘Exercise EGWU EKE III’, in conjunction with other security
agencies recovered dangerous weapons from criminals and political
thugs in Sokoto State. This has really contributed immensely to a
peaceful security situation in the state.

● 15 March- Troops of 72 Special Forces Makurdi, deployed at
Yelwata, in Guma LGA, which is a border town between Benue and
Nasarawa states, while on patrol along Yelwata-Kadarko road engaged
armed robbers in a gun battle, which resulted in the elimination of
one of the armed robbers, while others took to their heels. The
suspects were dressed in military desert camouflage and robbing
motorists along the road.

● 13 April- Troops conducting ‘Operation Sharan Daji’ in Zamfara
State killed 23 bandits and arrested 18 suspected informants,
cattle rustlers, kidnappers and logistics suppliers to armed
criminals in the state.

● 20 April- Troops on Operation ‘HABIN KUNAMA III’, based on
credible intelligence about bandits’ movements in Kirsa and Sunke
in Anka LGA, Zamfara State, continued with the clearance operation
into the hinterland to clear the brigands, arresting 18 informants
and recovering arms and motorcycles.

● 22 April- Troops of 72 Special Forces (SF) Battalion Makurdi
deployed for internal security operation in Katsina-Ala LGA, Benue
State, averted a terrible clash between two Tiv clans-Shitile and
Ikyora in the early hours of that day. They exterminated 5
mercenaries, recovered arms and ammunition.

● May 8- A patrol team of 1 Division of the Nigerian Army raided
a bandits’ den at Gonan Bature East of Rijana and Kasarami farm
house in Chikun LGA, Kaduna State. The abandoned Kasarami farm
house was reportedly forcefully occupied by criminals and had been
used as a shelter and a place where victims of kidnapping were
kept.

● May 8- Troops on Exercise ‘HARBIN KUNAMA III’ arrested a
notorious logistics supplier for bandits crouching between
Jibia-Batsari axis -one Marwana Abubakar was arrested at Kwashabawa
village in Jibia LGA, Katsina State.

● May 8- Troops of 311 Artillery Regiment successfully conducted
a raid operation on a suspected facility in Kontagora township,
Niger State. During the raid, some weapons were discovered and
recovered.

NIGERIAN AIR FORCE:
● 19 January- The Nigerian Air Force deployed a fighter aircraft,
along with support equipment, and a detachment of Special Forces
(SF) personnel to Sokoto to further boost anti-banditry operations
in Northwest Nigeria under ‘Operation DIRAN MIKIYA’. The deployment
is aimed at adding value to the efforts to deal with the spate of
insecurity in some parts of Sokoto State and the border areas
between Zamfara and Sokoto States.

● 7 February- The Air Task Force (ATF) of ‘Operation DIRAN
MIKIYA’ intensified the bombardment of armed bandits’ hideouts in
Zamfara State and environs, after several camps being used by the
bandits to launch attacks against innocent civilians were
identified.

● 21 February- The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) provided a mobile
Jet A-1 fuelling facility to enable the refuelling of NAF
Helicopters that would operate out of the 23 Quick Response Wing
(23 QRW) Nguroje. This will further enhance security on the
Mambilla Plateau.

● 12 March- In continuation of efforts to enhance security in
Kaduna State and its environs, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF),
working with other security agencies, intensified aerial
surveillance over identified hotspots and flashpoints in the state
while sustaining its air patrol along the Abuja-Kaduna Highway.
Some of the areas covered in the surveillance missions include
Gonin Gora, Kajuru, Kujama, Kasuwar Maganin and surrounding
settlements.

● 31 March- A Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Special Forces (SF) Team
operating in Zamfara State successfully repelled attacks by armed
bandits who attempted to invade Hayin Mahe and Hayin Kanawa
Villages in Gusau Local Government Area.

● 8 April- The Air Task Force (ATF) for ‘Operation DIRAN MIKIYA’
renewed air offensive against armed bandits in Zamfara State and
its environs. The air strikes are aimed at flushing out the bandits
from their hideouts in Sububu, Rugu and Kagara Forests, amongst
others, whilst ensuring the protection of the lives and properties
of citizens in Northwest Nigeria.

● 9 April- The Air Task Force (ATF), ‘Operation DIRAN MIKIYA’
neutralized dozens of armed bandits in Sector 2 Area of Operation
in Zamfara State and also supported surface forces to move into the
attacked areas to mop-up the fleeing survivors and recover their
weapons. Some of the bandits fled across the border into Niger
Republic.

● 13 April- The Air Task Force (ATF) for ‘Operation DIRAN
MIKIYA’ destroyed some logistics stores belonging to bandits at a
location within Kagara Forest, Zamfara State. Some of the armed
bandits who had fled their camps as a result of NAF’s earlier air
strikes had relocated some logistics items, including fuel,
motorcycles and local arms-making equipment, to another location
within Kagara Forest.

● 16 April- In response to reports that high profile armed
bandits were gathering around Rafi and Doka villages of Mada
District in Gusau Local Government Area (LGA) of Zamfara State,
which is under the Area of Responsibility (AOR) of the 207 Quick
Response Group (207 QRG), a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Special Forces
(SF) Team was dispatched to the area to secure the 2
settlements.

● 22 April- The Air Task Force (ATF) for ‘Operation DIRAN
MIKIYA’ neutralized about 10 armed bandits at Sububu Forest area in
Zamfara State. This was achieved while the ATF was responding to a
request for close air support by ground troops of Sector 7 Area of
Responsibility of Operation SHARAN DAJI, who had come into contact
with armed bandits in Shinkafi Local Government Area (LGA).

● 4 May- NAF commissioned the 271 Nigerian Air Force Detachment
(271 NAF Det) at Birinin Gwari in Kaduna State. The Detachment was
established to serve as support Base and a blocking force for
troops in Operations DIRAN MIKIYA and SHARAN DAJI.

It is the constitutional duty and responsibility of government
to safeguard lives and properties. The Buhari administration
remains committed to this, and despite recent spikes in the spate
of crime and criminality, the evildoers will be beaten, and badly,
too. The ravening clouds can never be victorious. Soon, they shall
no longer possess the sky.”

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